What are some well written Urban Fantasy novels or well done Urban fantasy movies/tv shows?

Comments

Yes, the Bedlam's Bard books have been mentioned (and, to an extent, they avoid the romance cliche stuff).

I'd forgotten Wizard of the Pigeons, but yes that's a very good early example of the genre. There are also a few other series I've read at least some of, though not followed right through - Laura Gilman's retrievers series (more romance, though the basic world building is very different), can't-remember-her-name's Walker Papers series (native Americanish) for example.

But the OP was asking about urban fantasy for the purposes of writing, and answering that means looking at what's actually sold under that label rather than poking at the boundaries to include personal favourites. If you go into a bookstore you definitely won't find Lovecraft filed under Urban Fantasy.

The OP hasn't replied to anyone so I wonder if they care.

I have not been on the internet much today. I spent most of the day visiting my mum.

I posted this last night and I did not have a chance to reply.

Edit: I am planing on writing urban fantasy like books. Urban like environment with fantasy and sci fi elements. I did mention I have The Time Traveler's Wife (the book). It is a book that is modern like but with time traveling. That would fit what I am looking for even if it does not have the typical urban fantasy elements.

What I want is my characters to live in a modern like urban setting. Some of the places specified on a planet similar to Earth's current urban settings. Others on other planet that has a name.

Yes, the Bedlam's Bard books have been mentioned (and, to an extent, they avoid the romance cliche stuff).

I'd forgotten Wizard of the Pigeons, but yes that's a very good early example of the genre. There are also a few other series I've read at least some of, though not followed right through - Laura Gilman's retrievers series (more romance, though the basic world building is very different), can't-remember-her-name's Walker Papers series (native Americanish) for example.

C E Murphy's "The Walker Papers" series, with Joanne Walker as the lead heroine. Her personal "mentor" being Coyote, the Trickster. Good series, tho I haven't read the last two. Doesn't have as much romance as many of the other UF (thank goodness - the romance/love triangles turn me straight off a series)

Yes, the Bedlam's Bard books have been mentioned (and, to an extent, they avoid the romance cliche stuff).

I'd forgotten Wizard of the Pigeons, but yes that's a very good early example of the genre. There are also a few other series I've read at least some of, though not followed right through - Laura Gilman's retrievers series (more romance, though the basic world building is very different), can't-remember-her-name's Walker Papers series (native Americanish) for example.

C E Murphy's "The Walker Papers" series, with Joanne Walker as the lead heroine. Her personal "mentor" being Coyote, the Trickster. Good series, tho I haven't read the last two. Doesn't have as much romance as many of the other UF (thank goodness - the romance/love triangles turn me straight off a series)
Now how did you know I was going to ask Richard for more information about the Walker Papers series? Anything Native American fascinates me (even non-fiction), and one of my favorite murder mystery authors is Tony Hillerman, whose two main characters are Navaho tribal police officers.

First - AFAIK - movie representation of urban fantasy was 1991's "Cast a Deadly Spell" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101550/) It had some of the themes in it, which makes the Dresden Files enjoyable, and Lovecraft, too. And no kids and no boring teenagers longing for pale or hairy, but more boring monsters.

For graphic novels "Locke and Key" is a twist on the already worn out urban fantasy themes. It has kids in it (exactly: almost only kids and teenagers), but no boring ones. It misses the supernatural figures like vampires and werewolfes, but not the supernatural.

Avoid the "Dresden Files"-TV-series: I watched it two month ago and I don't think I had liked it even if I didn't read the books before.

"Supernatural" itself is of course the most recent and most enjoyable movie/TV-representation of urban fantasy at the moment. (Was it mentioned in this thread; I may have skipped it?) There are some other TV series, too, and some movies beside the ones I'm forbidden to name.

Neil Gaiman was mentioned, but not his "American Gods", which of course lacks the cliches of urban fantasy but is nevertheless "urban fantasy".

Avoid the "Dresden Files"-TV-series: I watched it two month ago and I don't think I had liked it even if I didn't read the books before.

Are they actually showing that somewhere? I saw about 3 or 4 episodes on the Sci-Fi network a couple/three years ago, and then they cancelled it. I didn't realize another network picked it up and continued with it.

Truth be told, I never thought the books would make a good TV series as the storylines to me are a little too much for anything less than a big screen's R rated movie. Sponsors would just nix too much of what's in those books to make the series good. Too bad as I liked the actor playing Harry.

Avoid the "Dresden Files"-TV-series: I watched it two month ago and I don't think I had liked it even if I didn't read the books before.

Are they actually showing that somewhere? I saw about 3 or 4 episodes on the Sci-Fi network a couple/three years ago, and then they cancelled it. I didn't realize another network picked it up and continued with it.

Truth be told, I never thought the books would make a good TV series as the storylines to me are a little too much for anything less than a big screen's R rated movie. Sponsors would just nix too much of what's in those books to make the series good. Too bad as I liked the actor playing Harry.

The books, however, are great.

see, I tried to read the Dresden books....it took me MONTHS to get through #2. I don't like them at all.

I just got the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from the library. Thank you for the suggestion. It might help.

Not remotely what the modern urban fantasy market is looking for, I'm afraid. The whole Narnia series is fairly traditional Young Adult fantasy - it's contemporary with the Oz books. Best bet may be to go and look at what a big bookstore has filed under fantasy or horror (they may even have an urban fantasy section). If it's a series, and it's got a contemporary setting, it's almost certainly urban fantasy.

I am planing on writing urban fantasy like books. Urban like environment with fantasy and sci fi elements. I did mention I have The Time Traveler's Wife (the book). It is a book that is modern like but with time traveling. That would fit what I am looking for even if it does not have the typical urban fantasy elements.

What I want is my characters to live in a modern like urban setting. Some of the places specified on a planet similar to Earth's current urban settings. Others on other planet that has a name.

I am planing on writing urban fantasy like books. Urban like environment with fantasy and sci fi elements. I did mention I have The Time Traveler's Wife (the book). It is a book that is modern like but with time traveling. That would fit what I am looking for even if it does not have the typical urban fantasy elements.

What I want is my characters to live in a modern like urban setting. Some of the places specified on a planet similar to Earth's current urban settings. Others on other planet that has a name.

I'd call that Science Fiction, rather than Urban Fantasy.

I'd go for sci fi too, if it's set on another planet. However, if you had their city/town VERY similar to an Earth town, and there were no obvious aliens, or alien technology, or even very advanced technology, and it was all just magic, you could slot it into Urban Fantasy.

To me, urban fantasy is magic primarily. With vampires, werewolves, ghosts etc. As soon as aliens or technology so advanced we dont' have it here on earth comes into the picture, I go with sci fi.

Are they actually showing that somewhere? I saw about 3 or 4 episodes on the Sci-Fi network a couple/three years ago, and then they cancelled it. I didn't realize another network picked it up and continued with it.

Sorry, I bought them on DVD out of curiosity (low price from Amazon UK so no great loss) :)

Are they actually showing that somewhere? I saw about 3 or 4 episodes on the Sci-Fi network a couple/three years ago, and then they cancelled it. I didn't realize another network picked it up and continued with it.

Sorry, I bought them on DVD out of curiosity (low price from Amazon UK so no great loss) :)
Ahhhhh, OK. That makes sense I guess because as I mentioned above, most of those stories just didn't fit on the TV screen w/o having to leave out a lot of the good stuff. On DVD they could include just about anything they wanted with an R rating.

Avoid the "Dresden Files"-TV-series: I watched it two month ago and I don't think I had liked it even if I didn't read the books before.

Are they actually showing that somewhere? I saw about 3 or 4 episodes on the Sci-Fi network a couple/three years ago, and then they cancelled it. I didn't realize another network picked it up and continued with it.

Truth be told, I never thought the books would make a good TV series as the storylines to me are a little too much for anything less than a big screen's R rated movie. Sponsors would just nix too much of what's in those books to make the series good. Too bad as I liked the actor playing Harry.

The books, however, are great.

see, I tried to read the Dresden books....it took me MONTHS to get through #2. I don't like them at all.

Yet I really really loved the tv series. *grin*
To each his own taste Jaki. I won't hold it against you. ;-)

I was actually looking forward to the TV series even if they cut out alot, so I WAS disappointed when they cancelled it.

Edited to Add: Well, lo and behold, Amazon here in the USA has the DVD. It says there's 12 episodes, but the Sci-Fi network here only showed 3 or 4 before it was cancelled. Think I'm going to have to get this. I happen to like Paul Blackthorne. I saw him in an early season of Kiefer Sutherland's TV series "24".

That makes sense I guess because as I mentioned above, most of those stories just didn't fit on the TV screen w/o having to leave out a lot of the good stuff. On DVD they could include just about anything they wanted with an R rating.

They should have, but they didn't. The UK version is rated "12" (= 12 years or up), that is something like PG in the USA I guess.

The best episode was "Storm Front", the only one, who had some more elements from the Butcher books in it.

That makes sense I guess because as I mentioned above, most of those stories just didn't fit on the TV screen w/o having to leave out a lot of the good stuff. On DVD they could include just about anything they wanted with an R rating.

They should have, but they didn't. The UK version is rated "12" (= 12 years or up), that is something like PG in the USA I guess.

The best episode was "Storm Front", the only one, who had some more elements from the Butcher books in it.

(But I don't want to derail this thread.)

No, we have PG too - children are allowed in with parental guidance. 12 is like 15 and 18, an absolute (in theory) limit.